News

Professor Bradley Borden appears in a new ESPN investigative report on the PGA Tour’s nonprofit status, which has allowed the organization to avoid paying up to $200 million in federal taxes over the past 20 years.

In a lead story in the Christian Science Monitor, Professor David Reiss commented on JPMorgan’s $13 billion civil settlement with the Justice Department, the largest settlement ever reached between the government and a corporation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s insistence that independent directors dominate the boards of public companies deserves reexamination, writes Professor Roberta Karmel in a new post for the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation.

Experts and political candidates are still trying to sort out the implications of a federal appellate court ruling in the landmark stop-and-frisk case, Floyd v. New York, which asserted that stop-and-frisk tactics of the New York Police Department violated the constitutional rights of minorities.

In a New York Daily News op-ed, Professor Joel Gora praised the recent ruling by a New York federal appeals court that limitations on contributions to independent political organizations — or “super PACs” — are likely unconstitutional.

One in three women worldwide have been victims of domestic violence. In observance of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Professor Lisa Smith spoke with Dr. Annie Abram on BlogTalkRadio about legal help and support for women at risk.

This summer, Dean Nicholas W. Allard announced the appointment of four new deans at the Law School: Professors Michael Cahill and Dana Brakman Reiser, as Vice Deans; Professor Stacy Caplow, as Associate Dean for Professional Legal Education; and Jennifer Lang, as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

With campaign finance law restrictions and First Amendment rights in the headlines, Professor Joel Gora — one of the country’s most renowned authorities in these fields — has been frequently called upon to share his expertise.

09.26.13
Dean Nick Allard on the ‘Business of Legal Education’ in Bloomberg Law Op-ed

In a new Bloomberg Law op-ed, Dean Nick Allard highlights the need to strike a balance between preparing future lawyers to be critical thinkers and providing a legal education that delivers immediate value.

09.25.13
Professor Nelson Tebbe Featured as Frequent Commentator on Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Issues

Recent headlines have brought constitutional law and religious freedom into sharp focus. As one of the country’s foremost experts in these areas, Professor Nelson Tebbe has been frequently called upon to share his expertise.

09.19.13
Professors Bennett Capers and William Hellerstein Appointed to ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Advisory Council

Professors Bennett Capers and William Hellerstein have been named to a new panel that will oversee changes to the New York City Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policies. They join 11 other members of the academic advisory council appointed by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, who ruled last month that existing stop-and-frisk policies violated the constitutional rights of minorities.

For nearly 40 years, Brooklyn Law School’s Clinical Education Program has stood among the most respected training grounds for lawyers. Every semester, hundreds of students receive high-quality practical training in its varied clinics and externships, taught by nationally recognized clinical educators. Behind this success has been Professor Stacy Caplow, who has served as the program’s Director since 1984.

In a USA Today article, Professor Joel Gora offered context in advance of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court’s first major case of the fall 2013 term. The case concerns whether individual limits on federal election campaign contributions that have stood for nearly 40 years should be eliminated – a decision that will ultimately fall to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

08.13.13
Professor Bennett Capers Comments on Stop-and-Frisk Ruling in New York Times Op-Ed

In a New York Times op-ed today, Professor Bennett Capers hailed the ruling in Floyd v. City of New York, which asserted that stop-and-frisk tactics of the New York Police Department violated the constitutional rights of minorities.

In an interview with Thomson Reuters, Professors Brad Borden and David Reiss discussed their recent commentary “Show Me the Note!” (Westlaw Journal Bank & Lender Liability, 2013) – the title of which references a defense used to forestall or prevent a foreclosure.

The Northeast has joined strongholds like Texas in the demand for energy lawyers, wrote Dean Nick Allard in a new Breaking Energy op-ed – a need that will only surge in light of an "insatiable demand for energy and the lack of a coherent energy policy."

This week, Delaware passed legislation providing for the creation of “benefit corporations,” which require board directors to balance social mission with the bottom line. In advance of the news, Professor Dana Brakman Reiser spoke to the Wall Street Journal about such companies.

07.23.13
Professor Mark Noferi Praised for Work to Provide Immigrants Counsel; Progress Reflected in City Council Announcement

Carey Dunne, President of the New York City Bar, recently thanked Professor Mark Noferi and others from City Bar’s Immigration and Nationality Committee for “actively helping shape immigration legislation before Congress” to include groundbreaking provisions for appointed counsel to immigrants.

In a recent Law360 article, Professor David Reiss commented on the continued success of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), in particular, the prosecution of credit agency Standard & Poor's over fraudulent ratings.

07.15.13
Professor Edward Janger and “Ice-Cube Bonds” Featured in Press; Forthcoming Article in Yale Law Journal

A forthcoming Yale Law Journal article co-written by Professor Edward Janger and Professor Melissa Jacoby of the University of North Carolina was recently featured in the press, including Bloomberg and the Wall Street Daily Bankruptcy Review.

In a radio interview with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, BLS Professor and ACLU President Susan Herman commented on a week of extraordinary Supreme Court rulings, from changes to the Voting Rights Act to the strike down of the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8.

Professor Minor Myers continues to draw attention for “The Law and Economics of Merger Litigation: Do the Merits Matter in Shareholder Appraisal?”, the paper on stockholder appraisal that he co-authored with Charles Korsmo, a former visiting associate professor at BLS.

06.14.13
Professor Minor Myers in Spotlight for New Perspective on Shareholder Appraisal

The stockholder’s appraisal remedy has never been the most glamorous facet of shareholder litigation. But Professor Minor Myers’s new take on the topic is not only upending assumptions, but also winning acclaim.

06.12.13
Professor Gerald Shargel Discusses Closing Office to Join Corporate Firm in New York Times

In the latest chapter of a storied career, Professor Gerald Shargel ’69, BLS Practitioner-in-Residence and noted criminal defense lawyer, has closed his law office after nearly four decades to become a partner at the global law firm of Winston & Strawn.

Professor Elizabeth Schneider was a recent guest on the NY1 show, "Road to City Hall," to discuss the resignation of New York State Assembly member Vito Lopez and the sexual harassment allegations against him.

05.16.13
From St. Petersburg to Midtown: Dean Nicholas W. Allard Speaks at Home and Abroad

In his first year as Dean of the Law School, Nicholas W. Allard has championed several new innovations that the Law School and faculty have developed, including a two-year accelerated J.D. program, the Washington, D.C. semester immersion program, Business Boot Camp over intersession break, and the upcoming two-year fellowship in practice program for third-year students.

05.15.13
Professor Lisa Smith on the Trial of the Cleveland Kidnapper in the Christian Science Monitor

Professor Lisa Smith spoke to the Christian Science Monitor about the upcoming trial of Ariel Castro, who was charged with the kidnapping and rape of three women he allegedly held in his house in Cleveland for a decade.

05.15.13
Professor James Park Comments on New York State Case against Bank of America/Merrill Lynch

Professor James Park’s comments on the New York State case against Bank of America/Merrill Lynch were recently featured in several news sources, including Reuters, the Chicago Tribune, and Insurance Journal.

In television and print interviews, Professor David Reiss commented on today’s ruling to allow the public to buy shares in the Empire State Building. The court rejected arguments by a small group of current investors that the initial public offering of stock would violate state law. “This represents a kind of watershed moment for the case,” Professor Reiss said. The IPO is expected to raise $1 billion for a new company called Empire State Trust Inc.

In a new Law360 article, Professor Davis Reiss commented on the latest in Wells Fargo’s loan default fight with Michigan’s Cherryland Center mall, a case that attorneys say could complicate loan negotiations and jeopardize deals in other states.

04.25.13
Professor Susan Herman Argues Against Detaining American Citizens as “Enemy Combatants” in U.S. News & World Report Op-ed

In light of the Boston bombing, Professor Susan Herman, president of the ACLU, argues in U.S. News & World Report against detaining an American citizen suspected of committing a crime within the United States as an enemy combatant.

04.10.13
Professor Rebecca Kysar’s Articles on Tax Legislative Process Published in Top Law Journals

Tax matters have dominated the political landscape in recent months, from the Affordable Care Act to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Helping to navigate the waters is Associate Professor Rebecca Kysar, whose teaching and scholarship in the areas of federal income tax, international tax, and legislation are earning significant attention.

Professor David Reiss spoke to Law360 about the call by nine state attorney generals for the replacement of Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director Edward DeMarco over his handling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Brooklyn Law School is pleased to announce the launch of REFinblog.com, a collaborative effort between Professors Brad Borden and David Reiss and law students, focused on tracking the latest law and practice developments in the rapidly changing field of real estate finance.

Professor James Fanto was quoted in an article in Investor’s Business Daily focusing on the separation of powers issue in the case of the recent blockage of Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on supersized sugary drinks.

03.08.13
Professor Stacy Caplow Discusses Clinical Legal Education in the New York Times

A recent article in the New York Times discussed the growing trend of “law firms” developed by law schools across the country that pair students in need of practical experience with low-income clients.

On February 26, Professor Bennett Capers was featured on a WNYC radio broadcast discussing the trial of Gilberto Valle, the so-called “Cannibal Cop," a 28-year-old New York City police officer charged with conspiracy to kidnap, kill, and eat women.

02.07.13
Professor Susan Herman Awarded Prize for Her Book Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy

Professor Susan Herman has been awarded the 2012 IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize for her book Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy.

After the curtain call at a mid-January performance of the Public Theater’s Arguendo, a dramatic and humorous theatrical verbatim reading of the oral argument court transcript of the 1991 U.S. Supreme Court case of Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., Brooklyn Law School Professors Nelson Tebbe and Bill Araiza took to the stage for an audience “talkback.”

Forbes has named Adjunct Professor Lauren Burke, to its “30 Under 30: Law and Policy” list. She was recognized for her advocacy on behalf of undocumented immigrants and victims of survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence.

On November 28, the Public Service Office and BLSPI, in co-sponsorship with Themis Bar Review and the Career Center, hosted an end of year event in support of the Children’s Law Center (CLC), which is dedicated to representing abused and neglected children.

On November 5, the case of Amgen v. Connecticut Retirement System was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case explored whether materiality must be proved at the class certification stage in a securities fraud case that relies on the fraud-on-the-market theory. At stake is whether the traditional rules for certifying class actions in the securities area will be toughened to make it more difficult for investors to bind together to form class actions.